Monongalia County QRT to hand out free naloxone Tuesday at the Mountainlair

Mar. 4, 2024

Monongalia County QRT to hand out free naloxone Tuesday at Mountainlair

MORGANTOWN, WV (March 4, 2024) — Before West Virginia University students head off for spring break later this week, they will have the opportunity to obtain free naloxone —which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose — and to learn how to use it.
That is by design, said Brittany Irick, coordinator of the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT), which will provide naloxone as well as free fentanyl strips from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the WVU Mountainlair.
“The big reason we are doing this at this time of year is that we want to focus on college students,” said Irick, of Monongalia County Health Department, which obtains grants to fund the multi-organization QRT.
“This is around the time that college students will be getting ready for spring break, and we want to get naloxone into their hands before they leave town.”
Naloxone, in this case, the brand Narcan, is a nose spray that can be administered quickly and easily to someone who has overdosed on an opioid. Naloxone gets someone breathing again and gives emergency services time to reach the individual and provide additional care and, if needed, transportation to a hospital.
The Monongalia County QRT has been holding naloxone giveaway events, branded as Free Naloxone Day or Save a Life Day, since 2021. Those have been at multiple locations throughout the Morgantown area in an effort to get naloxone to the entire community.
A mini Free Naloxone Day will be held in the spring, tentatively on April 18 at six locations. The Monongalia County QRT will also be participating in the statewide Free Naloxone Day on Sept. 26.
“This has been a pretty successful event in the past, and it’s not just for people who use drugs,” Irick said. “It’s also a good resource for family members of individuals with substance use disorder and college kids, parents and pretty much anyone.”
Individuals who pick up naloxone will be given a short training to learn how to administer it.
For up-to-date information on health and wellness in Monongalia County, check out monchd.org and follow the health department on Facebook and Twitter @WVMCHD and on Instagram at #wvmchd.